The present invention relates generally to generation of high-energy radiation, and more particularly to generation of high energy radiation by mechanical motion.
X-rays are used in a variety of ways. X-rays may be used for medical or other imaging applications, crystallography related applications including material analysis, or in other applications.
X-rays are generally generated by electron braking (bremsstrahlung) or inner shell electron emission within a material. Historically, other than through natural phenomena, x-rays generally have been generated by accelerating electrons into a material, such as a metal, with a small proportion of the electrons causing x-rays through bremsstrahlung or knocking electrons present in the material out of inner orbitals, for example K-shell orbitals, with x-rays being generated as electrons in higher energy orbitals transition to the lower energy orbitals. Acceleration of the electrons to generate a useful quantity of x-rays, however, generally requires expenditure of significant power, particularly when considering the small percentage of such electrons which actually result in x-ray emissions.
X-rays may also be generated by changes in mechanical contact between materials in a controlled environment, for example through the unpeeling of pressure sensitive adhesive tape or mechanical contact of some materials in an evacuated chamber. However, utilization of such methods to provide a sufficient intensity of x-rays to be commercially useful, and doing so outside of a laboratory environment, may be difficult.